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FFL: Week 12 | NFL: Week 12

Bengals QB Joe Burrow won't return Sunday vs. Patriots

Sat Nov 22 11:15am ET
Field Level Media

Quarterback Joe Burrow will not play for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday against the New England Patriots, The Athletic reported Saturday.

Burrow, who had surgery for turf toe on Sept. 19, practiced with the team the past three days, and coach Zac Taylor said he had a decision to make about the veteran's readiness for the visiting Patriots (9-2).

Now, the Bengals (3-7) are shifting gears, hoping he will be able to play against the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL's primetime game on Thanksgiving.

Instead, veteran Joe Flacco, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, will start his sixth straight game. He sustained the injury in the Oct. 26 loss to the New York Jets.

Burrow played the first two games of the regular season and landed on injured reserve on Sept. 16.

"Everything is moving in a great position," Taylor said Friday. "Now we just have to make a decision. You play a game Sunday, you play a game Thursday, you got to factor in all that stuff. He has tried to put himself in a position to be ready to go."

The Bengals started his 21-day window for practice availability on Nov. 10, but Burrow would need to be added to the active roster by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to be eligible for Sunday's game versus New England.

Burrow, 28, has played in 71 career games and has a 40-30-1 record. In his sixth NFL season, Burrow has completed 68.5% of his passes for 19,190 yards with 142 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.

He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has twice been named Comeback Player of the Year after his return from serious injuries that ended his 2020 and 2023 seasons.

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Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Week 12

Player Notes
Zay Flowers Nov 22 10:20am CT
Zay Flowers

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has been one of the most consistent 10-to-12 fantasy point finishers in the NFL this year. That could be either good or bad depending on roster makeups and depth of league, but he's registered six finishes in that range for half-PPR formats. While the New York Jets are only 2-8 this season, they aren't the easiest matchup against opposing receiver groups. They're ranked 13th on the season, but they dipped to 23rd in the last four weeks and have given up a total of 37 receptions for 429 yards and two touchdowns. Flowers should see the same volume that he's received this season, but he's on a nine-game scoreless streak at the moment. That leaves him as a mid-level WR2 projection yet again.

From RotoBaller

John Metchie III Nov 22 10:20am CT
John Metchie III

New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III will try to build off Week 11's performance in Sunday's clash with the hosting Baltimore Ravens. The Taiwan native made his second appearance with New York in last Thursday's loss to New England, leading the team in receiving yards (45), while pulling in 3-of-3 targets and his first touchdown of the campaign. Notably, Metchie III played the most snaps of all Jets' wideouts (82%) and lined up all over the formation. Things will be a bit different in Week 12, considering head coach Aaron Glenn has officially made the switch to veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor in lieu of an inefficient Justin Fields. Only time will tell if that turns out to be an upgrade, but either way, Metchie III should get solid opportunity, as he and new teammate Adonai Mitchell form a sort of 1A/1B tandem in the wake of Garrett Wilson's (knee) injury. The former Houston Texans wideout ranks as RotoBaller's PPR WR76 for his matchup with Baltimore.

From RotoBaller

Mason Taylor Nov 22 10:10am CT
Mason Taylor

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor isn't a favorable fantasy start for his outing against an improved Baltimore Ravens' defense. The LSU product had a three-game stretch earlier in the season in which he racked up an 18/150 line across 25 targets, although he's only commanded more than four once in the five games since. Furthermore, he's yet to top 34 yards in any of them, and has done so just twice in ten games. The change to Tyrod Taylor could breathe a breath of fresh air into a stagnant Jets' offense, but Baltimore has been stingy of late, and unkind to tight ends on the season as a whole - yielding the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position (11.7). The rookie is still a nice long-term bet and a strong dynasty stash. However, his outlook in redraft leagues isn't as rosy. Taylor ranks as RotoBaller's PPR TE21 ahead of his outing with Baltimore.

From RotoBaller

Darius Slayton Nov 22 10:10am CT
Darius Slayton

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) will operate as the team's No. 2 option alongside Wan'Dale Robinson after being removed from the injury report ahead of Week 12 against the Detroit Lions. Slayton returns from a one-game absence, and he'll be catching passes from his third different quarterback of the season as Jameis Winston fills in for Jaxson Dart (concussion). While Dart elevated Slayton's productivity, the receiver should have similar upside with Winston under center. The veteran quarterback is a gunslinger who is not afraid to air the ball out, racking up completions and yardage. Slayton had nine catches for 151 yards over his previous two games, and he should build on that momentum as a low-end WR3/flex against a Lions defense allowing the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Derrick Henry Nov 22 10:10am CT
Derrick Henry

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry found the end zone last week after going without a touchdown in the two weeks prior. It was also a huge bounce back from the first time he went up against the Cleveland Browns and only registered two fantasy points. In Week 12, he goes up against the New York Jets defense that lost one of their best run-stoppers at the trade deadline. Overall, this season, the Jets are ranked 19th against running backs, but they're 27th over the last four weeks with an average of 28.97 fantasy points allowed per game. That gives Henry RB1 value again heading into this matchup.

From RotoBaller

Adonai Mitchell Nov 22 10:10am CT
Adonai Mitchell

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will get another opportunity to garner an increased piece of his team's passing pie in Week 12's road outing with the Baltimore Ravens. Mitchell made his Jets' debut in last Thursday's loss to the Patriots. Despite commanding the most targets on New York's roster (six), he came away with just one catch and ten yards. Not all of that was the ex-Indianapolis Colt's fault, but he didn't help his case with a few brutal drops. With teammate Garrett Wilson (knee) out for the foreseeable future, it's the least tenured Jets' pass-catchers, Mitchell and John Metchie III, with the highest probability of emerging from the pack in his absence. For what it's worth, the latter played on more snaps in Week 11, though it's possible that fluctuates as they spend more time with the organization. Maybe Mitchell sports modest production down the stretch, but fantasy managers can avoid him outside of DFS formats for at least another week. The 23-year-old ranks as RotoBaller's PPR WR72 for Sunday's contest with the hosting Ravens.

From RotoBaller

Hunter Henry Nov 22 10:00am CT
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is gearing up for an exceptionally favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12. The veteran caught four of his six targets for 45 yards last week and is one of Drake Maye's favorite targets, establishing himself as a fringe top-12 tight end in fantasy football this year. He should build on his value this week with arguably the highest ceiling he's had all year long. Cincinnati has the league's worst defense against tight ends, and it's not particularly close. They have allowed the most receiving yards, the most touchdowns, and the most fantasy points to tight ends in 2025. The gap in fantasy points allowed by the Bengals and the second-worst defense against tight ends is actually greater than the gap between the second-worst defense and the league median. Meanwhile, Cincy's 12 touchdowns allowed to tight ends are five more than the next-highest. Time and time again, tight ends have feasted against the Bengals. Now, Henry will have a terrific opportunity to benefit from a matchup against this susceptible defense. He ranks as the overall TE7 in this week's RotoBaller fantasy rankings.

From RotoBaller

Breece Hall Nov 22 10:00am CT
Breece Hall

New York Jets running back Breece Hall will retain his workhorse role this Sunday in the team's road outing with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. Hall has been up and down in 2025 as a part of an inconsistent Jets' attack. The volume has been there, though, and he's relegated backfield mate Isaiah Davis to a strictly handcuff role over New York's previous two outings while boasting a 70% snap share or greater. Sunday's meeting with the Ravens presents as an intriguing one, considering the unit was a better matchup for opposing offenses earlier in the campaign, but they've clamped down in recent weeks. There's some hope that the Jets' offense shows a little life with the changeover to Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. If that's the case, Hall could be productive against a defense that's been liable to give up yardage. He's RotoBaller's PPR RB14 ahead of this weekend's slate of action.

From RotoBaller

Mack Hollins Nov 22 9:50am CT
Mack Hollins

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins has been a pleasant surprise lately, catching 19 passes for 268 yards over his last four games. He ranks as the WR23 in PPR leagues during that span, but a portion of his contributions came with Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) sidelined. Boutte returns to action this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, raising questions about Hollins' expected role. Fortunately, the veteran receiver was able to carve out a consistent role even before Boutte suffered his injury. In his final game before Boutte got hurt, Hollins played 72% of the snaps with seven catches for 89 yards. For comparison, last weekend, the 32-year-old had an 85% snap share with four catches and 64 yards. Even if Hollins' snap share drops a few percentage points with Boutte back, he should still maintain a sizable role in New England's offense. Managers should be wary of the fact that Cincinnati has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers playing out wide this season, but Hollins still has upside given his possession skills, as well as his occasional reps in the slot (21.2% rate). He ranks as RotoBaller's WR45 this week and could be a decent flex play.

From RotoBaller

Tyrod Taylor Nov 22 9:50am CT
Tyrod Taylor

In a move that had been put on hold due to a two-game win streak, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn finally made the switch from a struggling Justin Fields to quarterback Tyrod Taylor ahead of Sunday's game with the hosting Baltimore Ravens. Taylor has appeared in three games already this season, though this will be his second official start, and he won't be given any courtesy. Despite favorable-looking season-long numbers for the defensive unit, Baltimore has been a force since Week 6, a span in which they've yet to allow more than 19 points. Teams have had luck moving the ball through the air versus the Ravens, but the veteran's lack of proven offensive weaponry figures to pose an issue against a talented group of players. Taylor lands as RotoBaller's QB24 for this weekend, and shouldn't be considered outside of a streaming option in superflex/2QB formats.

From RotoBaller

Kayshon Boutte Nov 22 9:40am CT
Kayshon Boutte

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) returns from a two-game absence this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. While fantasy managers will be excited to get the third-year receiver back for Week 12, expectations should be tempered as he prepares for a challenging matchup. Cincinnati's defense has been soft in many areas this year, but its one main area of strength has been shutting down receivers who operate out wide. The Bengals have allowed the second-fewest points to perimeter receivers, which is where Boutte has amassed 89.3% of his snaps. Even though he'll likely be the Patriots' No. 2 receiver this week, he ranks outside the top 36 fantasy receivers and has a very low floor in this specific matchup. Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry are far better fantasy options among the Patriots' pass catchers in Week 12.

From RotoBaller

Stefon Diggs Nov 22 9:30am CT
Stefon Diggs

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (finger) has consistently operated as Drake Maye's favorite target, keeping him in the low-end WR1 tier for fantasy football in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran pass catcher has reportedly been playing through a broken finger, and despite the ailment, he has amassed 27 catches, 272 yards, and three touchdowns over his last five games. He has strung together five consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points in PPR leagues despite playing fewer than 61% of the snaps in four of those five contests. He ranks eighth in the NFL in fantasy points per route run, making each of his plays incredibly valuable. Even against a Bengals defense allowing the 14th-fewest fantasy points to receivers and the fewest fantasy points to receivers who play out wide, Diggs should be deployed as a WR1 in most fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Lamar Jackson Nov 22 9:30am CT
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has registered two weeks in a row outside of QB1 territory. This is the first time he's done so since the 2023 season from Week 8 to Week 10. Last season, every time he had a lackluster performance, he followed it up with a top six fantasy finish. In Week 12, Jackson and company take on the New York Jets, who rank 22nd against opposing quarterbacks and allow an average of 18.61 fantasy points per game. The Jets haven't even collected a single interception all season and have only forced one turnover which was back in Week 6. So, if there's anyone to have a bounce back game against, it's the Jets. Jackson is projected for a return to QB1 in this matchup, making him a must-start once again.

From RotoBaller

Oronde Gadsden II Nov 22 9:22am CT
Oronde Gadsden II

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden ranks as the TE12 in half-PPR fantasy points per game through the first nine games of his NFL career. Gadsden has developed strong chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert and has 37 catches on 49 targets for 507 yards and two touchdowns going into the team's Week 12 bye. However, the 22-year-old hasn't scored since Oct. 19. Gadsden has cooled off a bit since back-to-back weeks of finding the end zone in Weeks 7 and 8, but he's had at least five targets in a game since all the way back in Week 5. The primary concern for Gadsden's fantasy managers going forward is the Chargers' banged-up offensive line, which might give quarterback Justin Herbert very little time to throw the football in the final stretch of the season against some tough opponents. The fifth-rounder could return with a bang in Week 13 against the Raiders, so fantasy managers shouldn't give up hope just yet.

Wan'Dale Robinson Nov 22 9:20am CT
Wan'Dale Robinson

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson caught just four of nine targets for 36 yards last week against the Green Bay Packers with Jameis Winston filling in for an injured Jaxson Dart (concussion). Robinson has racked up the volume recently as the Giants' primary target in the passing game. Since Week 7, his 44 targets only trail Nico Collins, Justin. Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and is averaging 11.3 PPR points per game. Darius Slayton will return in Week 12 after missing last week due to a hamstring injury, so the targets may not be as consolidated on Robinson on Sunday. The 24-year-old Robinson still projects as a strong play on Sunday against the Lions, with the game tied for the second-highest projected total on the slate (50.5), setting up a potential shootout. Robinson ranks as RotoBaller's WR21 in PPR formats for Week 12.

From RotoBaller

Chris Godwin Nov 22 9:20am CT
Chris Godwin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (leg) is expected to play in Sunday's Week 12 contest against the Los Angeles Rams, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The 29-year-old has missed a total of eight games this season, including five in a row. Through two contests, he has 14 targets, but just six receptions for 52 yards. Upon his return, Godwin will step into a high-volume role alongside rookie standout Emeka Egbuka. Both have mid-range WR1 upside against the Rams, but it remains to be seen whether they can co-exist in this Bucs offense. Godwin underperformed in the two games for which he was healthy, and he was the No. 2 receiver in both of those games, too. He should be viewed as a low-end WR3/flex play this week.

From RotoBaller

Cairo Santos Nov 22 9:10am CT
Cairo Santos

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos is coming off his best game of the season in Week 11, knocking down four of five field goals, including the game-winner to beat the division rival Minnesota Vikings. It's been an up-and-down year for Santos, who's fought through injuries and kicker controversy with Jake Moody earlier in the year. With Moody in Washington and the injuries behind the veteran kicker, Santos will look to fire off a strong finish to his 12th season. He faces a great matchup in Week 12, against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to kickers this season. With good weather expected and a ton of confidence, Santos is worth starting in Week 12.

From RotoBaller

Luther Burden III Nov 22 9:00am CT
Luther Burden III

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has officially supplanted Olamide Zaccheaus as the WR3 in this Bears' offense. Over the past two games, Burden has played more snaps than Zaccheaus and has caught six passes for 78 yards in those games. Despite the Bears' running more two-TE sets in Week 11, Burden managed to play his second-most snaps of the season (44%), while Zaccheaus played his lowest (14%). Burden also faces a great matchup in Week 12, as the Steelers' defense has allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season. This week could be the one that fantasy managers view as the "Luther Burden Breakout Game", but without a configured role in this Bears' offense, he's labeled as a high-upside WR5 in Week 12.

From RotoBaller

Joe Burrow Nov 22 9:00am CT
Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) won't be activated for Sunday's matchup against the New England Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The star quarterback will remain on injured reserve for the time being, with Joe Flacco set to make his sixth straight start for the Bengals. Burrow underwent surgery to repair his Grade 3 turf toe after getting injured during Cincinnati's Week 2 win over Jacksonville. While he is close to returning, he will likely need one more week to be cleared. Head coach Zac Taylor said that the 28-year-old "has done everything he can," after practicing in full on Wednesday and Thursday this week before being limited on Friday. Burrow said that he planned to return on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens, and we should know more about his status for that game early next week.

From RotoBaller

Colston Loveland Nov 22 9:00am CT
Colston Loveland

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland has slowed down in the past few weeks, hauling in three of four targets for 40 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. While Kmet was out due to a concussion, Loveland was far more productive, including a 118 and two-touchdown game against the Bengals. Despite his high draft capital and elite talent, Loveland is playing fewer snaps this season than Kmet (71% to 59%), and without a sure-fire role in the Bears' offense, Loveland will continue to disappoint this season. The matchup is ideal, as the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed the sixth most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. While a good matchup is there for the taking, Loveland will have to overcome a lack of volume to be worth starting this week.

From RotoBaller